


Stop Pretending

by ShowMeAHero



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Angst, Awkward Kiss, Implied Memory Loss, Implied Past Earl/Cecil, M/M, Unrequited Love, kind of, one-sided earl/cecil, spoilers for The Homecoming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-15
Updated: 2014-10-15
Packaged: 2018-02-21 07:30:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2460002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShowMeAHero/pseuds/ShowMeAHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Earl wants Cecil to remember. Cecil doesn't know he's forgotten.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stop Pretending

**Author's Note:**

> Earl Harlan is bae.
> 
> Title taken from "Goodbye" from 'Catch Me If You Can', the musical.

When Cecil took off his headphones and started gathering up his papers, he had presumed that his studio was empty. He thought he was alone. He thought Earl had left five days ago, after his special cooking segment had ended. Hell, maybe he had. Maybe he had come back. Whatever the case, Cecil was most certainly not alone, which he had long since adjusted to, but still had the opportunity to surprise him every now and then.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable on air, Cecil," Earl said softly. Cecil spun his chair around to face the voice from the corner of the room, and he smiled at Earl.

"Don't you worry about a thing, Earl," Cecil answered. He stared, smiling, at Earl for a few more beats before turning back to his papers. One of them dripped onto his hand, and he shook it off. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Oh, I..." Earl moved hesitantly out of the corner, approaching Cecil's desk. He appeared skittish. Cecil slowed his movements slightly. "I was wondering if you wanted to work out the details of our next meeting."

"Oh, right! We should definitely do the segment again," Cecil said, organizing his papers into a neat little stack. He stood with them clutched in his fists. "I thought it was a lot of fun, didn't you?"

"It was fun," Earl agreed distractedly. "But, Cecil, that's not what I meant. What I was talking about was _real_."

Cecil stopped in his tracks, the papers still in his hands. He avoided Earl's eyes, but Earl just stood right in front of him and waited until Cecil felt uncomfortable enough to look up at him.

"You know it's true," Earl said quietly. "Cecil, I have the answers you're looking for."

Cecil's brow furrowed. "Then tell me, Earl. Don't just-"

"Not here," Earl hissed. His eyes darted over Cecil’s shoulder, examining the door. “Damn it, Cecil, this is _dangerous_. Why don’t you _care_?”

“Of course I care,” Cecil argued, frowning. “Everything is dangerous, Earl. I do what I have to do.”

Earl focused his attention on Cecil again, his eyes skimming his face. He moved in suddenly, his hands tightly framing Cecil’s face as he kissed him, his brow furrowed, his fingertips bruising. Cecil dropped his papers in his shock, sending them scattering about the floor around their feet. He held himself awkwardly, stiffly, afraid to move. Finally, Earl pulled away. At the look on Cecil’s face, he dropped his hands. Cecil immediately crouched down and began gathering up the loose papers.

“Earl, you know I’m with Carlos,” Cecil stated firmly, keeping his eyes on his papers. He tried to focus on remembering their order rather than on Earl’s eyes staring holes through his head. Figuratively, not literally. “I don’t know what you want from me, but-”

“No,” Earl interrupted. Cecil turned his head up to look at him. “No, I don’t, either. I’m sorry.”

“Of course it’s okay, Earl, I forgive you,” Cecil assured him. He stood again, his full height a couple inches higher than Earl’s. “Don’t worry about it. Just… don’t forget again.”

“If you forgot, why can’t I?” Earl demanded, and Cecil blinked. Earl’s face fell almost immediately, and he took a step back, putting a polite amount of space between them.

“Earl, what-”

“Come to Tourniquet,” Earl instructed, ignoring the fact that Cecil had begun to speak. “I’ll tell you everything I know. I have a space.”

Cecil opened his mouth to speak, but Earl shook his head, and he shut it. Earl pulled out his wallet, tugged out a business card, and handed it to Cecil.

“It’s going to be alright,” Cecil promised, vague but sure, as he always was. Earl studied his face for a beat, then turned and left without another word. Cecil frowned at his back as he retreated. His phone ringing interrupted the silence, and Cecil snatched it out of his pocket, swiping to answer.

“Hello?” Cecil asked, wedging the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he tried to straighten his papers out.

“Hi, Cecil,” Carlos’ voice greeted him on the other end, and Cecil grinned.

“Carlos!” Cecil exclaimed. “How are you? What’s new there today?”

Earl, outside the door, tipped his head back against the wall and took a few deep, steadying breaths before continuing out, unwilling to hear any more of the conversation.

 

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me on Twitter at [@nicoIodeon](https://twitter.com/nicoIodeon) or on Tumblr at [andillwriteyouatragedy](http://andillwriteyouatragedy.tumblr.com/).


End file.
